Pac-12 Announces Baseball Players of the Week

SAN FRANCISCO - The Conference office announced today Hunter Simmons of UTAH was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week and Ryan Schmitten of WASHINGTON was tabbed Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week for action between May 2 - 8.

Simmons (Mountain View, Calif.) hit .625 over two games against Washington State (5-of-8) and scored three runs, helping the Utes split the first two games with the rubber match taking place tonight on the Pac-12 Networks. He went 2-for-4 and scored two of Utah's three runs in game one of the series. He led off the seventh inning with a single and scored Utah's first run of the game and also led off the ninth with a single, which would lead to a run. Simmons followed up that performance by going 3-for-4 with a run scored in game two and also reached base on a HBP. His hit in the first inning loaded the bases which led to a sacrifice fly. Simmons began Utah's 3-run go-ahead fifth inning with a one-out single to left center for the first hit of the inning and scored a run. This is Simmons' first-career weekly accolade and the second all-time for the Utes.

Schmitten (Puyallup, Wash.) allowed just one hit over a career-high seven innings against USC as he and two relievers combined to hurl a one-hit, 6-0 shutout of the Trojans on Sunday. In just his fourth start of the year, the senior did not allow a hit until there were two outs in the sixth inning, a double by No. 9 hitter Reggie Southall. The only other baserunner Schmitten allowed was a lead-off walk in the fourth to Cody Dempster, who was erased on a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out double play to end the inning. He faced one batter over the minimum in seven innings, went to three-ball counts just three times, threw 83 pitches and struck out four batters in picking up his first win of the season and leading the Huskies to two out of three wins on the road. The Huskies are now 11-1-1 in series this season, including 7-0 in three-game series rubber matches after Schmitten’s performance. This is Schmitten's first-career weekly honor and the 44th all-time honor for the Huskies.

The Utes, currently one game out back from the top of the Pac-12 standings, host Stanford in a three-game series beginning on Friday, May 13. The Huskies, the Pac-12 leaders, face their in-state rivals in Washington State in a three-game series also starting on Friday. All three games will be broadcast the Pac-12 Networks. The Pac-12 Networks full television information can be found here.

ALSO NOMINATED
Player: Cody Ramer, ARIZ; David Greer, ASU; A.J. Balta, ORE; David Oppenheim, USC; Chris Baker, WASH.
Pitcher:  Nathan Bannister, ARIZ; Ryan Mason, CAL; Cole Stringer, ORE; Tristan Beck, STAN; Kyle Molnar, UCLA; Joe Navilhon, USC; Damon Jones, WSU.

2015-16 PAC-12 PLAYER AND PITCHER OF THE WEEK